Lack of 'D' in the SEC

COLLEGE STATION — Alabama coach Nick Saban and Texas A&M defensive back Deshazor Everett are separated by about four decades of football experience, but both men own a firm grasp of what's shaking down in the Southeastern Conference concerning scoring.

Doing something about it, however, is quite another matter.

“There are some really good quarterbacks in our league this year, and there are some really good offensive teams,” said Saban, whose Crimson Tide have won the last two national titles and again are ranked No. 1. “These things sometimes go in cycles ... but everybody in the league has got almost 400 or 500 yards of offense per game.”

So what's the best way to slow the roll of some high-flying squads in a league best known for its stout defenses?

“You just have to adjust every week,” Everett said, shrugging his shoulders. “That's all you can do as a defense. For whatever team you're playing, you have to adjust to its offense.”

That's never been more evident with the influx of a variety of offensive attacks in the SEC, led by second-year member A&M, which was idle Saturday. The Aggies led the league in every major offensive category last season and headed into this weekend's games again pacing the conference in total offense, scoring and passing behind second-year coach Kevin Sumlin.

The reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Johnny Manziel, is the face (and arm and legs) of the A&M offense, but Arkansas coach Bret Bielema said the Aggies' cutting-edge attack is much more than Manziel.

“That offense is built around him and what he does, but they also have a lot of really good players,” said Bielema, whose Razorbacks fell to the No. 9 Aggies 45-33 on Sept. 28 in Fayetteville, Ark. “Their line blocks extremely well, their running backs can run and the receivers do what they want them to do in the run game and throwing game.”

And suddenly LSU 9, Alabama 6, less than two years ago in Bryant-Denny Stadium — the quintessential illustration of mighty SEC defenses between the two top-ranked teams at the time — seems like last century. This season's top two games have been Alabama 49, A&M 42, and Georgia 44, LSU 41.

“The fact that a lot more people are going no-huddle and playing fast probably enhances opportunities to gain yards, make big plays and score more points,” Saban said.

The league's coaches, too, seem to agree the influx of scoring begins with one primary player: the fellow taking the snap.

“Quarterback is where it all starts,” Florida coach Will Muschamp said. “In the NFL, you're looking at guys like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. ... More (college) teams are going up-tempo, so you're seeing more snaps and more opportunities to score. The experience at quarterback is key.”

And “The 4Ms” are leading the way. Manziel, Georgia's Aaron Murray, LSU's Zach Mettenberger and Alabama's AJ McCarron all are marquee quarterbacks, prompting LSU coach Les Miles to proclaim, “Any time you become a league that has veteran quarterbacks, you're going to have these kinds of scores.”

Entering Saturday's action, 12 of the league's 14 programs were averaging at least 400 yards of offense, with three of those — A&M, Georgia and Missouri — cranking out well over 500 yards per game. In the decade previous to 2012, when A&M averaged 559 yards a game with Manziel, every SEC total offense leader averaged in the 400s.

A&M's 45 points per game last season were the league's most since Florida averaged 47 in 1996, but so far this year, four teams are averaging in the 40s.

“It all starts with the quarterback, and then the different schemes in terms of spreading people out and creating space, and creating one-on-one matchups,” first-year Tennessee coach Butch Jones said. “It really forces you to be disciplined and be able to tackle in space.”

Muschamp served as Texas's defensive coordinator from 2008-10, so he owns plenty of experience in the SEC and Big 12.

“This all goes in cycles,” said Muschamp, using Saban's term to describe the scoring burst so far this season. “I was in the Big 12 for three years, and it was a very big adjustment for me coming from the SEC to the Big 12, with as much spread as they played. It was week to week. There weren't any two-back teams.”

Before his stint at Texas, Muschamp, a former Georgia linebacker, had enjoyed successful stints as defensive coordinator at LSU and Auburn.

Now, the kinds of offenses he faced in the Big 12 are invading the SEC — including Ole Miss under Hugh Freeze and Auburn behind Gus Malzahn.

Finding a stud pass rusher on defense is the equivalent of a marquee quarterback on offense, Muschamp added.

“You're getting more of those (Big 12) elements in our league, and you've got to change your recruiting philosophy a little bit, as far as finding pass rushers,” he said. “The most exerting thing on the football field is rushing the passer, and once you run out of gas, you're done. You better have guys who can rush the passer.”

And if you don't?

“When you have quarterbacks with as much experience as some of the teams in the SEC have,” Bielema offered, “that's obviously going to result in some points.”

bzwerneman@express-news.net

Twitter: @brentzwerneman

COLLEGE STATION — Alabama coach Nick Saban and Texas A&M defensive back Deshazor Everett are separated by about four decades of football experience, but both men own a firm grasp of what's shaking down in the Southeastern Conference concerning scoring.

Doing something about it, however, is quite another matter.

“There are some really good quarterbacks in our league this year, and there are some really good offensive teams,” said Saban, whose Crimson Tide have won the last two national titles and again are ranked No. 1. “These things sometimes go in cycles ... but everybody in the league has got almost 400 or 500 yards of offense per game.”

So what's the best way to slow the roll of some high-flying squads in a league best known for its stout defenses?

“You just have to adjust every week,” Everett said, shrugging his shoulders. “That's all you can do as a defense. For whatever team you're playing, you have to adjust to its offense.”

That's never been more evident with the influx of a variety of offensive attacks in the SEC, led by second-year member A&M, which was idle Saturday. The Aggies led the league in every major offensive category last season and headed into this weekend's games again pacing the conference in total offense, scoring and passing behind second-year coach Kevin Sumlin.

The reigning Heisman Trophy winner, Johnny Manziel, is the face (and arm and legs) of the A&M offense, but Arkansas coach Bret Bielema said the Aggies' cutting-edge attack is much more than Manziel.

“That offense is built around him and what he does, but they also have a lot of really good players,” said Bielema, whose Razorbacks fell to the No. 9 Aggies 45-33 on Sept. 28 in Fayetteville, Ark. “Their line blocks extremely well, their running backs can run and the receivers do what they want them to do in the run game and throwing game.”

And suddenly LSU 9, Alabama 6, less than two years ago in Bryant-Denny Stadium — the quintessential illustration of mighty SEC defenses between the two top-ranked teams at the time — seems like last century. This season's top two games have been Alabama 49, A&M 42, and Georgia 44, LSU 41.

“The fact that a lot more people are going no-huddle and playing fast probably enhances opportunities to gain yards, make big plays and score more points,” Saban said.

The league's coaches, too, seem to agree the influx of scoring begins with one primary player: the fellow taking the snap.

“Quarterback is where it all starts,” Florida coach Will Muschamp said. “In the NFL, you're looking at guys like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. ... More (college) teams are going up-tempo, so you're seeing more snaps and more opportunities to score. The experience at quarterback is key.”

And “The 4Ms” are leading the way. Manziel, Georgia's Aaron Murray, LSU's Zach Mettenberger and Alabama's AJ McCarron all are marquee quarterbacks, prompting LSU coach Les Miles to proclaim, “Any time you become a league that has veteran quarterbacks, you're going to have these kinds of scores.”

Entering Saturday's action, 12 of the league's 14 programs were averaging at least 400 yards of offense, with three of those — A&M, Georgia and Missouri — cranking out well over 500 yards per game. In the decade previous to 2012, when A&M averaged 559 yards a game with Manziel, every SEC total offense leader averaged in the 400s.

A&M's 45 points per game last season were the league's most since Florida averaged 47 in 1996, but so far this year, four teams are averaging in the 40s.

“It all starts with the quarterback, and then the different schemes in terms of spreading people out and creating space, and creating one-on-one matchups,” first-year Tennessee coach Butch Jones said. “It really forces you to be disciplined and be able to tackle in space.”

Muschamp served as Texas's defensive coordinator from 2008-10, so he owns plenty of experience in the SEC and Big 12.

“This all goes in cycles,” said Muschamp, using Saban's term to describe the scoring burst so far this season. “I was in the Big 12 for three years, and it was a very big adjustment for me coming from the SEC to the Big 12, with as much spread as they played. It was week to week. There weren't any two-back teams.”

Before his stint at Texas, Muschamp, a former Georgia linebacker, had enjoyed successful stints as defensive coordinator at LSU and Auburn.

Now, the kinds of offenses he faced in the Big 12 are invading the SEC — including Ole Miss under Hugh Freeze and Auburn behind Gus Malzahn.

Finding a stud pass rusher on defense is the equivalent of a marquee quarterback on offense, Muschamp added.

“You're getting more of those (Big 12) elements in our league, and you've got to change your recruiting philosophy a little bit, as far as finding pass rushers,” he said. “The most exerting thing on the football field is rushing the passer, and once you run out of gas, you're done. You better have guys who can rush the passer.”

And if you don't?

“When you have quarterbacks with as much experience as some of the teams in the SEC have,” Bielema offered, “that's obviously going to result in some points.”

Brent Zwerneman is a staff writer for the Houston Chronicle and chron.com covering Texas A&M athletics. He is a graduate of Oak Ridge High School and Sam Houston State University, where he played baseball.

Brent is the author of four published books about Texas A&M, three related to A&M athletics. He’s a four-time winner of APSE National Top 10 writing awards for the San Antonio Express-News, including a second-place finish for breaking the Dennis Franchione “secret newsletter” scandal in 2007.

His coverage of Texas A&M’s move to the SEC from the Big 12 also netted a third-place finish nationally in 2012. Brent met his wife, KBTX-TV news anchor Crystal Galny, in the Dixie Chicken before an A&M-Texas Tech football game in 2002, and the couple has three children: Will, Zoe and Brady.